Stake securing a landscaping edging strip

ABSTRACT

A stake consists of two planar panels joined on a longitudinal axis and angularly disposed with respect to one another. Lower portions of the panels converge to a tip on the axis, and an axial tang is formed at the top of the stake. An inwardly directed flange is formed near the top of each panel, the flanges being disposed substantially in a common plane, generally perpendicular to the panels. The flanges and the tang facilitate driving of the stake into a substrate by use of a power hammer, and the driven stake resists both upward and lateral displacement. It is especially adapted for the securement of edging for restraining paving and landscaping materials.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. Design patentapplication No. 29/632,005, filed Jan. 4, 2018 and entitled “STAKE.”

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various forms of stakes are widely employed for a variety of purposes;e.g., as supports, props, tethers, braces, fencing, boundary markers,etc. Of particular interest to the present invention is the provision ofa stake that is effective for the securement of a structural memberagainst a surface, especially a structural member that serves for theretention and restraint of landscaping or covering materials, pavers,and the like, deposited or laid upon the ground, a base, or othersubstrates.

Such restraint and retention members are described in the prior art. Forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,303 provides a structure for holding pavingblocks, which structure is secured by driving nails through it into theground. U.S. Pat. No. 7,774,993 provides an elongated landscaperetaining or edging strip that is held in place by spikes, driven intothe ground, for retention and/or separation of beds of earth or otherlandscaping fill (i.e., gravel, rock, bark, dirt, sand, mulch) or theretention and maintenance of paving materials (i.e., bricks, pavingstones, rock, gravel, etc.).

As is emphasized in both of the above-identified patents, the naturalfreezing and thawing cycle of the ground (and other permeable outdoorsubstrates), as well as vehicular the pedestrian traffic, causesmovement of deposited landscaping and paving materials. Also recognizedtherein it the tendency of securing nails and spikes to come loose andpull up out of the ground. Lateral displacement of the ground-engagingfasteners, for which there is a particular tendency with packed clear oropen stone substrates, does not appear to have been recognized oraddressed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is the broad object of the present invention to providea novel stake that is constructed for being driven into a surface, whichstake resists lateral as well as axial displacement.

It is also an object of the invention to provide such a stake which isespecially adapted for being driven by a power hammer (but can also bedriven manually, such as with a mallet).

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a stake having theforegoing features and advantages, which is especially adapted for thesecurement of a structural member against a supporting surface,particularly for the securement of a structural member that comprises alateral retaining or restraining wall and, especially, an edging memberfor landscaping, covering, or paving materials.

An additional broad object of the invention is the provision of a novelassembly of a structural member, in particular a structural member thatcomprises a length of edging for retaining or restraining landscaping,covering, and paving materials, and a stake for the ground or substrateengaging securement thereof.

It has now been found that certain of the foregoing and related objectsof the invention are attained by the provision of a stake constructed tobe driven lengthwise into a surface and having a top, a bottom, andopposite lateral edges, the stake being comprises of two generallyplanar panels joined to one another along a common rectilinearlongitudinal axis and disposed with a internal angle of 45° to 135°therebetween. Each of the two panels provides one of the oppositelateral edges extending substantially along the entire length of thestake, with the lateral edges of the panels converging, at least along alower portion of the stake, to form a tip on the common longitudinalaxis at the bottom of the stake. A flange portion is provided at the topof each of the panels of the stake, spaced from its longitudinal axis;the flange portions extend inwardly of the stake and are disposedsubstantially in a common plane that is generally perpendicular to theplanes of the panels. A tang portion extends upwardly beyond the flangeportions at the top of the stake, on the longitudinal axis.

Generally, the stake will be fabricated from a strong, rigid metal, andintegrally formed as a single piece. The internal angle between thepanels of the stake will usually have a value of about 90°, and thestake will usually be substantially symmetrical about its longitudinalaxis.

Other objects of the invention are attained by the provision of anassembly comprised of a structural member constructed for being disposedagainst a supporting surface; and a stake for securing said structuralmember against such a surface. The structural member has at least onegenerally V-shaped aperture extending through a portion thereof,comprised of two connected slot elements disposed at an angle of about40° to 135° to one another. The stake is constructed, as hereindescribed, for being driven lengthwise through the aperture in theidentified portion of the structural member.

In preferred embodiments of the assembly described, the “portion” of thestructural member referred to will comprise a bottom wall having frontand read edges, and the structural member will further comprise alateral wall upstanding along one of the edges of the bottom wall. TheV-shaped aperture in the bottom wall will preferably have an apexbetween slot elements of which it is comprised, and be oriented with theapex proximate the lateral wall. Most desirably, the structural membercomprising the assembly will be in the form of a length, typically eightfeet long, of edging for retaining and restraining landscaping,covering, or paving material, with the bottom wall and the lateral wallthereof being substantially perpendicular to one another and formed witha multiplicity of apertures. As installed, the bottom wall of suchedging will normally be substantially horizontal (depending uponunderlying surface characteristics), and the lateral wall will normallybe substantially vertical.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stake embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view, showing the exterior of the stake.

FIG. 3 is a back elevational view, showing the interior of the stake.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view showing the eterior of the stake, aview rotated 90°, in a counter-clockwise direction about a longitudinalaxis and referenced from above, being a mirror image thereof.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view showing the interior of the stake; aview rotated 90°, in a clockwise direction about a longitudinal axis andreferenced from above, being a mirror image thereof.

FIG. 6 is an orthogonal elevational view of the stake; a view rotated180° about a longitudinal axis being a mirror image thereof.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the stake.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the stake.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view, in partial section, of an assemblyembodying the invention and showing the stake thereof being driventhrough an edging member, fragmentarily illustrated, which memberengages a course of paving blocks supported upon a substrate into whichthe stake is driven.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the assembly, showing the stake in transaxialcross section taken along line 10-10 in FIG. 9 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED AND ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Turning now in detail to FIGS. 1 through 8 of the drawings, thereinillustrated is a stake, generally designated by the numeral 10,embodying the present invention. The stake 10 comprises two planarpanels 12, joined to one another along a common longitudinal axis 14 at90° angle. Lower portions 16 of the lateral edges 18 of the panels 12are inclined to converge to a tip 20 on the bottom of the stake 10 andon its longitudinal axis 14, the tip being sufficiently pointed tofacilitate penetration into a substrate of choice.

Upper portions of the panels 12 are cut longitudinally, at a shortdistance from the axis 14, to define tabs, which are bent inwardly toprovide a flange portion 22 on each panel 12. The flange portions 22 aredisposed substantially in a common plane, which lies substantiallyperpendicular to the planes of the panels 12. Undistorted areas of thepanels 12 cooperatively define a tang portion 24, of V-shaped transaxialcross section, which extends upwardly of the flange portions 22 on thelongitudinal axis 14.

As will be appreciated, the stake 10 can conveniently and economicallybe fabricated from steel (as “angle iron,”), aluminum, or other metals,by conventional means. However, depending in part upon the intendedapplication, stakes embodying the invention may be molded from suitablestrong and rigid synthetic resinous materials, compositions of whichwill be evident to those skilled in the art, having in mind thefunctions and features described herein. Typically, stakes embodying theinvention (as used for securing an edging member, described below) willbe about 10 to 14 inches long and about two inches on a side, but againproportions and dimension may vary widely depending upon the specificintended application and other self-evident factors; generally, through,the stake will not be less than six or more than 24 inches long.

Turning now in greater detail to FIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawings, showntherein is a stake 10 embodying the invention assembled with a length ofan edging member, or strip, generally designated by the numeral 30(shortened for purposes of illustration). The edging member 30 comprisesa base wall 32 and a perpendicular lateral wall 34, upstanding along oneedge (which might be regarded to be a forward edge) of the base wall 32.

As best seen in FIG. 10 , the base wall 32 is formed with a V-shapedaperture, generally designated by the numeral 36, comprises of twoconnected slots 38, relatively disposed at a 90° angle to meet at anapex 40. The ape 40 is oriented to lie proximate the lateral wall 34 ofthe edging member 30. Generally, such a strip 30 will (at full length)contain a multiplicity of apertures 36, spaced along its length.

FIG. 9 shows the stake being 10 driven through the aperture 36 in thebase wall 32 into a substrate S (e.g., a bed of stone, gravel, aggregateor the like or, needless to say, simply the earth). As depicted, thestake is being driven by a power hammer, generally designated by thenumeral 42 (only the head 44 and a connecting shaft 46 of which areshown). The hammer head 44 is formed with an upwardly extending socket48, opening from a rim 50. As can be seen, the tang portion 24 or thestake 10 is received in the socket 48 of the hammer head 44, with therim 50 engaging the flanges 22 of the stake. As will be evident, theflanges will most effectively receive and transmit to the stake 10 thehammer blows; however, if the socket 48 is of optimal depth, the top endof the tang portion 24 will also come into contact with the wall 52 thatdefines the inner end of the socket 48, thus enhancing the effectivenessof the hammer blows for driving the stake 10 longitudinally into thesubstrate S.

Needless to say, the flanges 22 also serve to reinforce and strengthenthe stake panels 12 and, when the stake 10 is driven home, to providegood contact with the areas of the base wall 32 of the edging member 30adjacent the slot portions that define the V-shaped aperture 36, andthus maximizing the hold-down force. It also goes without saying thatthe large surface areas presented by the panels 12 afford a high levelof frictional engagement with the medium of the substrate S into whichthe stake 10 is driven, thereby optimizing its holding power.

As seen in FIG. 9 , the upright lateral wall 34 of the edging member 30engages the sides of the proximate course of paving blocks B laid uponthe substrate S, to restrain them against lateral shifting or spreadingmovement due not only to forces of pedestrian and/or vehicular trafficbut also due to lifting and shifting effects of freeze/thaw cycles towhich the substrate S may be subjected (in cold climates). It should beemphasized that the depicted orientation of the V-shaped aperture 36 inthe base wall 32, with its apex 40 proximate the upstanding wall 34,maximizes the resistance of the stake 10 to forces generated by lateralmovement of the material of the substrate S in directions away fromareas of restrained or retained landscaping or paving, allowing thematerial to migrate along the outer surfaces of the panels 12 ratherthan being trapped within the interior of the stake. However, thereverse orientation, and alternating orientations of a multiplicity ofapertures along the length of an edging member (as will normally bepresent), may be provided, as appropriate.

It will be appreciated that the assembly herein described can beemployed against any suitable substrate, and that edging embodying thestructural member thereof may be used to restrain, retain, and/orconfine any paving, covering, or landscaping material mentionedhereinabove or otherwise known to those skilled in the art. Normally,such edging will be molded from a synthetic resinous material, such ashigh density polyethylene; but metals such as steel and aluminum mayalso be used for fabrication, if so desired and/or for reasons ofeconomy.

Thus, it can be seen that the present invention provides a novel stakethat is constructed for being driven into a surface, which stake resistslateral as well as axial displacement and is particularly adapted forbeing driven by a power hammer. The stake of the invention is especiallyadapted for the securement of a structural member against a supportingsurface, particularly for the securement of a structural member thatcomprises a lateral retaining or restraining wall, and especially edging(i.e., a restraining member) for landscaping, covering, or pavingmaterials. The invention also provides novel assembly of a structuralmember, in particular a structural member that comprises a length ofedging, and a stake for the substrate-engaging securement thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:
 1. An assembly comprised of a length of edging for retaining or restraining a landscaping, covering, or paving material, including a bottom wall having front and rear edges, and a lateral wall upstanding along one or said edges of said bottom wall, said bottom wall and said lateral wall of said length of edging being substantially perpendicular to one another, said length of edging being constructed for being disposed against a supporting surface; and a stake for securing said length of edging against such a surface; said length of edging having at least one generally V-shaped aperture extending through said bottom wall thereof and consisting essentially of two slot elements connected at adjacent ends thereof and disposed at an angle of about 45° to 135° to one another, said at least one aperture in said bottom wall having an apex between said adjacent ends of said slot elements and being oriented with said apex proximate said lateral wall of said length of edging, and said stake being constructed for being driven, lengthwise through said aperture in said bottom wall of said length of edging; said stake having a top, a bottom, and opposite lateral edges, and being comprised of two generally planar panels joined to one another along a common rectilinear longitudinal axis and disposed with an internal angle corresponding to the angle between said slot elements of said aperture through said bottom all of said length of edging, each of said panels providing one of said opposite lateral edges extending substantially along the entire length of said stake, said lateral edges of said panels converging, at least along a lower portion of said stake, to form a tip on said common, longitudinal axis at the bottom of said stake, each of said panels having a flange portion at the top of said stake spaced from said longitudinal axis, said flange portions extending inwardly of said stake and being disposed substantially in a common plane that is generally perpendicular to the planes of said panels, said panels cooperatively forming a tang portion at the top of said stake, on said longitudinal axis, extending upwardly beyond said flange portions.
 2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said stake is fabricated from, a strong, rigid metal.
 3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said stake is integrally formed, as a single piece.
 4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said slots of which said aperture consists essentially are disposed at an angle of about 90° to one another.
 5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said stake is substantially symmetrical about said longitudinal axis.
 6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said length of edging is fabricated from a synthetic resinous material.
 7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said tang portion of said stake is of V-shaped transaxial cross section.
 8. A stake constructed to be driven lengthwise into a surface, and having a top, a bottom, and opposite lateral edges, said stake being integrally formed as a single piece from a strong, rigid metal, and consisting essentially of two generally planar panels joined to one another along a common rectilinear longitudinal axis and disposed with an internal angle of 45° to 135° therebetween, each of said two panels providing one of said opposite lateral edges extending substantially along the entire length of said stake, said lateral edges of said two panels converging, at least along a lower portion of said stake, to form a tip on said common longitudinal axis at the bottom of said stake, each of said panels having a flange portion at the top of said stake spaced from said longitudinal axis, said flange portions extending inwardly of said stake and being disposed substantially in a common plane that is generally perpendicular to the planes of said panels, said panels cooperatively forming a tang portion, of V-shaped transaxial cross section, at the top of said stake, on said longitudinal axis, extending upwardly beyond said flange portions.
 9. The stake of claim 8 wherein said internal angle has a value of about 90°.
 10. The stake of claim 8 wherein said stake is substantially symmetrical about said longitudinal axis. 